If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Nvidia Optimus: The End for nvidia on linux laptops?

I have been waiting for an asus laptop to be released (the UL30Jt), and now the specs show that it uses optimus. There's more and more laptops with nvidia optimus being announced and coming out.

This got me poking around, and, as it has been discussed on other threads, nvidia's Aaron Plattner has stated (source):

We have no plans to support Optimus on Linux at this time.

What does this mean? With optimus (as far as I could find out and as stated by Dave Arlie) there will be no way to physically connect the nvidia card to the laptop panel or other outputs. Because really, when it is working, there's no need to.

So we know that going forward almost all of intel's processors will feature integrated graphics, except from very-high-end. If optimus really performs as well as nvidia presents, there won't be any reason to not have it, except on high-end gamer laptops and such.

Put all of these together and you get a very bleak picture: most, if not all new latops will probably have optimus, and that's the end of the line for nvidia on linux laptops. You might as well throw a rock inside your laptop case and it will perform the same.

These prospects scare me a lot. I am a big nvidia fan (I have a crapton of nvidia cards, from riva tnt's to 9400M's and not-M's), and their linux support is very good in terms of performance, vdpau works great, etc etc, but I'm afraid that soon we won't be able to have any nvidia support on laptops.

Just wanted to get this out there, hoping that I am wrong or that we can do something to change this.

Well basically it is very unlikely that this will ever work because intel drivers prefer kms, but nvidia drivers need ums. So even when you correctly switch the driver this will not be optimal. Just use always nvidia or always intel. The ati switching from onboard to dedicated at least runs with the same driver.

Well basically it is very unlikely that this will ever work because intel drivers prefer kms, but nvidia drivers need ums. So even when you correctly switch the driver this will not be optimal. Just use always nvidia or always intel. The ati switching from onboard to dedicated at least runs with the same driver.

The problem is: I don't think you will be able to switch. If they only wire the outputs to the IGP and use the nvidia gpu to generate stuff and write it back to the IGP, you won't be able to even just do a static bios/whatever/switch. You'll be stuck with intel and won't have a choice.

All i3/i5 laptops with nvidia gfx can basically use optimus on win, but on linux you just install nvidia driver - no problem usually. Just forget to switch anything

Kano, what you're saying is that it will still be possible to connect the gpu directly to the laptop panel or other outputs. But what it seems to me is that they will be removing that possibility, because they do not need it with optimus.

I don't see manufacturers leaving that feature in out of the goodness of their hearts if windows does not make use of it.

Sadly it seems it is the end indeed.
I always bought NVidia-powered laptops for their great Linux support but I really feel cheated with my new Asus U30JC where I cannot use AT ALL the Nvidia GPU I paid for... they must be a lot of people in this case, it's hard to know in advance that Optimus is not the latest marketing term for basic GPU switching (hybrid power, etc... which work on Linux) but a complete new kind of wiring

Really hope NVidia will pull something out of his hat in a next driver release.
I don't care about proper Optimus support, as in dynamic adaptive switching of the GPU used to render things, I just want to be able to switch to the NVidia for everything.

Sadly it seems it is the end indeed.
I always bought NVidia-powered laptops for their great Linux support but I really feel cheated with my new Asus U30JC where I cannot use AT ALL the Nvidia GPU I paid for... they must be a lot of people in this case, it's hard to know in advance that Optimus is not the latest marketing term for basic GPU switching (hybrid power, etc... which work on Linux) but a complete new kind of wiring

Really hope NVidia will pull something out of his hat in a next driver release.
I don't care about proper Optimus support, as in dynamic adaptive switching of the GPU used to render things, I just want to be able to switch to the NVidia for everything.

Damn. Nvidia, what are you doing!?

I hope Nvidia isn't pulling a "Creative Labs" on us... Once the indisputable #1 for all things pc sound, they're just a bunch of nobodies these days, for making stupid after stupid decisions like this.

I've sent email to Asus support, the best answer I could get that no BIOS option is available to do switching...
I've also posted weeks ago on the 'official' NVidia Linux Support forum here :http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=152049
Still no answer from anyone at Nvidia...

Clarification needed

I've sent email to Asus support, the best answer I could get that no BIOS option is available to do switching...
I've also posted weeks ago on the 'official' NVidia Linux Support forum here :http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=152049
Still no answer from anyone at Nvidia...